Main Street bridge reconstruction begins next week in Norristown

NORRISTOWN ­­— Motorists crossing the stone arch bridge over Stony Creek on Main Street will begin encountering delays as engineers work over the next year to rebuild the bridge and its approaches.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday flaggers will direct Main Street traffic through the work zone between Astor and Markley streets while work crews establish a new traffic pattern. Once the new traffic pattern is in place, eastbound Main Street traffic (traveling from West Norriton into Norristown) will be reduced from three lanes to two lanes on the bridge.

Westbound traffic on Main Street (traveling from Plymouth into Norristown) will remain one lane through the work zone.

“There will temporary concrete barriers on the outside edge of the traffic to protect the construction workers from the traffic,” said

Tom Storrs, the consultant project manager of the Markley Street reconstruction for Orth-Rodgers & Associates. “There will be no barriers between the two directions of traffic but there will be temporary paint markings. All of that will start on Monday.”

Storrs said the line painting will start next week and be followed by the placing of the temporary concrete barriers. The barriers will extend slightly past the length of the bridge.

A sidewalk will remain open on the Main Street bridge on the opposite side of the construction area to provide pedestrian access throughout construction.

Main Street motorists should allow extra time and anticipate backups approaching the bridge, especially in the eastbound direction when heading into Norristown during the peak morning travel hours.

The first phase of construction on the upstream, northern side of the bridge next to the Septa parking lot will last from April until late September, Storrs said.

“A steel liner will be placed under the single stone arch to strengthen the bridge. That is the main structural repair that will strengthen the bridge,” Storrs said. “The walls next to the sidewalks will be rebuilt and will match the appearance of the existing walls. Minor repairs will be performed where stone has been displaced. The mortar joints on the exposed faces (side walls) of the bridge and through the rest of the structure will be repointed.”

The roadway will be reconstructed on top of the bridge from Water Street to Pearl Street for a distance of slightly more than 400 feet.

The Main Street bridge, owned by Norristown, was built in 1854. The bridge is 40 feet long and 83 feet wide.

“We are going to preserve,” Storrs said, “the appearance of the existing bridge.”

The second phase of construction will rebuild the middle part of the roadway and will proceed over one weekend in October. One through lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained on that weekend. The weekend has not been selected yet, Storrs said.

The third phase of construction will rebuild the southern, downstream side of the bridge from October 2013 to April 2014. The three travel lanes will be switched to the northern, upstream side of the bridge. A steel liner will be installed from the downstream side, the walls of the bridge, the sidewalk and the bridge parapet will be rebuilt and the stonework will be repointed.

The fourth phase of construction will resurface the remaining portion of the roadway in April 2014.

“The bridge is in poor condition. It is a key structure within close proximity to the Markley Street project,” said Gene Blaum, the PennDOT District 6 spokesman. “It will keep it in safe and serviceable condition for many decades into the future.”

The bridge reconstruction is part of the $20.8 million project to rebuild Markley Street from Main Street to Johnson Highway. The first part of that project began in February with utility work. A 1.1-mile section from Johnson Highway to Elm Street will be rebuilt in phases and be finished in fall 2016. The rebuilt roadway will have one lane in each direction, a center lane for left turns, recessed parking bays in residential areas, upgrading traffic signal, new street trees and decorative pedestrian street lights.

J.D. Eckman of Atglen, Chester County, is the general contractor on the $20,825,701 contract that is financed with 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funds.

Motorists can log on to www.511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to check traffic conditions on major highways. Online, go to www.dot.state.pa.us and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPhilly.